Platts to add freight assessments for major LNG routes

Following industry consultation, Platts will add daily freight cost assessments for the major global LNG routes effective January 17, 2011.

The assessments will be for vessel sizes of 64,400 mt chartered through the spot market, fueled using 50% bunker oil and 50% boil-off gas, traveling at an average speed of 17 knots.

Platts will publish assessments for routes loading in the following areas: the Middle East; Australia; Trinidad; Nigeria; Algeria; Belgium (Zeebrugge); Peru; and Russia (Sakhalin).

It will publish assessments for routes delivering to the following areas: Japan/Korea; South China/Taiwan; West India; Southwest Europe; Northwest Europe; Northeast US; and Argentina.

The assessments will be published in Platts European Power Alert, Platts Natural Gas Alert and Platts LNG Daily.

The data will also be available in Platts Dispatch.

At the same time, Platts will amend existing freight calculations for the DES West India net forward and FOB Australia netback to account for average speeds of 17 knots instead of the previous 19.5 knots.

For methodology details please contact the LNG editors at LNG@platts.com and Platts price group at pricegroup@platts.com.